The 3rd Captain

In our family, it is a joke between the men who is the captain when fishing. I usually jump in the argument to remind them that it should be me, since I distribute the sunscreen and decide how many bag of Doritos are necessary.

That option is always overlooked, and each believes it is himself, and maybe everyone is in control.


I figure if you bought the boat, you are in charge. But that authority does not always win, the competition starts when you learn to drive and are no longer afraid the fish will bite you.

Being the captain requires deep concentration, leadership skill, and the ability to encourage someone else to bait your hook, drive you around, and buy your Doritos. I guess a Captain is trained by someone, who in turn was trained by someone else. I guess it is a generation tree of "captain-ing." Pa, Daddy, Son.

I pray the Captain tree continues to grow. I know those few hours on a boat hold a lot more than slimy hooks, missed bites and soda. They hold memories, laughter, many life lessons, and maybe a few dang-its.

The boys came home in time for Faith's 2nd soccer game of the season. We are so proud to see her persistence paying off this season, she WAS a rare scorer, let alone 6 goals in 2 games. Her ability to practice hard and her long legs are lining up. Thus, we have confidence and security. She told me she was going to score, but reminded me what her Daddy always says, "Do your best, and God will do the rest." I liked hearing her confidence especially since we tag-teamed today. I took the little ones to 2 birthday parties and Craig was soccer dad.

It is almost obvious I was not at the game today, the child looks nothing like me in this picture. She looks like Craig with hair! I pray she stays as beautiful on the inside as the outside. Am I bragging? Yes, not ashamed either. :)

Connected by the internet

She may never know it, but her words are mine in this post.

However, Riggins and I have a love/hate relationship, I often wish to slap him. Tyra, Tyra, Tyra, that about sums it up. Matt is my favorite.

I wish Eric & Tami were my neighbors too. Then, I would compliment them on their strong marriage since we rarely see that on TV anymore. I would also have a girl heart-to-heart with Tami, and ask her how a WOMAN counselor scored the principal job at the 5A- Dillon High in the great state of TEXAS. Amazing!

Unfortunately, my love for Friday Night Lights is now reminding me of a certain district that is naming their multi-million dollar athletic complex after a superintendent who approved (with board approval)a 1 million dollar scoreboard, among other things. This "ain't" Dillon or Odessa people.

Monday

This pretty much sums up my Monday. It keeps staring at me and growing. Maybe if I throw a sheet over it, it will magically disappear. Doubtful.

Since my boss is at his office, I took a break. It is gloomy outside but the flowers make it seem brighter.

The kids and I were in the front yard the other day and Craig pulled up along the side of the house. This was our convo.

C: You must have an exceptional yard man.

Me: Yes, and he is cheap.

C: Maybe he should get a raise since he works so hard.

Me: Nah, he already knows he is hot & sexy!

He started laughing, and then the kids started cracking up. Then, Claire said, "What is sexy?" Since I did not have a Webster's or a James Dobson book hand, I said, "It just means you think your husband is handsome and your wife is pretty. "

Getting ready for church yesterday, I heard Claire look at herself in the mirror and say, "Am I sexy?" Faith said, "No, you have to be married to be sexy. You are still just pretty."

If my mom or mother-in-law is reading this, I am sorry. We don't have 3 kids without encouraging our relationship! (not that I plan on using that word anymore near your grandchildren - geez, they are too smart! )

Speaking of encouraging, this post ministered to me greatly at (In)Courage this morning. I hope it blesses you as well.

The Lord is my Light

Will's Art show at Trinity was this week. The girl's have had strep so Will & I just went by ourselves. Due to the sickies, I was kinda hoping we could skip it. (I know, I am so terrible but he still as 2 more years at MDO.) I am so glad we went, he was so excited and proud of his work!

At home, one of my girls was busy wondering if her mother had lost her mind. Faith had a conniption fit when she saw the mess in her room. I quote my eldest, "OH My GOOOSSSH, I can not take this mess, it must be cleaned up tonight or I WILL NOT SLEEP HERE!!"

Who is this child? From where does she come? Her mother must be an obsessive, compulsive over achiever....ok, maybe just a bona fide nut. Oh well, every family has issues.
It was clean by 10:00 p.m., way past bedtime. So, when she woke up on Thursday, I figured her sore throat was a ploy to sleep a bit more. Hmmm...Dr. Derrick proved me way wrong and I bought Dunkin Donuts, Rao's and Pei Wei all in one day to make up for it. Obviously, I avoided cooking as well. I know, I am still waiting for my nanny to show up, she is a day late and I am a dollar short.

We placed the Plexiglas on today and the girl's cannot stop rejoicing over their door turned desk.

The chairs are not my favorite or my style, but they will do until I find what I really want. Not to mention, the girls were not content UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETE. I have no idea where that impatience comes from. Geez...
I love this painting Will made, I am thinking of framing it. I need to remember He is my light because without Him, I am such a failure. I have earned the big F several times this week, but it only reminds me to turn to the Light.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Matthew 5:13-15 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Luke 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.

Get 'er done!

That has been our motto around here lately. Actually, that is always our motto, but spring has enlightened our step. Once we learned Uncle Sam would return a few dollars, our lawnmower broke. Isn't it funny how things like that happen?

What is really comical is that Craig is so excited about his mower because it has "zero turn." Oh, you don't know what zero turn means? Me neither. I just know that he placed a cup in the center of the yard, and walked around it pushing the mower w/one hand, never hitting the cup. AMAZING, almost circus like. I am just glad he is happy.My new ceiling fan and lamp make me happy. The $25 off deal at Lowe's made me ecstatic.

The dollar, plastic cup is not really my style, but when your man has installed a ceiling fan for 3 hours, you let him use whatever cup he chooses. I just have one question for my readers, would you call my style quaint? Paula and I have having a decorating style discussion. The meaning of quaint is:
having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque: a quaint old house.

(I know one thing, the gray hairs I plucked OUT OF MY HEAD this morning may be old fashioned, but quite unattractive.)

Anyway, I prefer shabby chic: a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.

OK, let's call me shabby chic quaint.

Speaking of shabby chic, this is an old door I got at an antique store in October. It has been a project that we have dismissed for months, but the plan is to make a desk for the girls' room.

I am painting it white and distressing it, but now I think I want it lighter, so I may have to re-do my redo.
My assistants were such support, I lost my original idea and we jumped to kid art. I am short one helper who just happens to be at the lake running a muck w/her cousins. Since Sister is at the lake, it reminded Faith to paint a sign for the lake house.

I did not have the heart to tell her Sam Rayburn was the largest MAN made lake in Texas. God did make the river that flows into it, and all the nature around it!

He also reminded me He made my gray hairs, but I am sure glad I can paint over them.

Free time

Faith is always talking about what she will choose to do at school during "free time." Often, she spends her time reading, writing a story, practicing cursive, or "free draw." Most of the time, she rarely has any free time. I don't know how she had free time this week since her Spelling list contained words like paleontologist, reconstruct, and extinct. Oddly enough, she found reconstruct harder than the spelling of a dinosaur scientist. Since I am repeating elementary school, I finally learned how to spell extinct, I am still working on the word suppooosedly supposedly. Anyway, she made bookmarks today that make me more proud than her ability to do anything else.

Obviously, you can see which bookmark is for Will and Claire. She made the sun one for Craig and the joy one for me. My parenting skills tell me she thinks I need more joy and Craig spreads the Light?!? Since I am a sucker for a bookmark, I gushed over her idea and was really glad I refrained from asking if she practiced her multiplication facts. Although I am so grateful to God for her precious, tender heart, and do not dare to make fun of her creativity, can we move to Beamot? I will take the Light.

Green is a sign of spring

I may be the Platinum Mother of the Year

It seems to be a habit, I never can remember sunscreen in April. One nice thing about a blog is it will remind you when you did not put sunscreen on your kids last year. Supposedly, parenting is a seasoned skill, maybe April 2011 will bring higher marks.

I really blame YMBL for my non-wearing sunscreen mistake, the South Tx State FAIR is supposed to be in October, not April, not near Easter. Who wears sunscreen in October to the Fair? (The children of good mothers?) Yes YMBL, I know about Rita & Ike, we are acquaintances. But, blah, blah,blah. It makes sense, but it broke tradition as well as my pocketbook. However, it was bring your "Mimi - and - her - money - day", so we can still eat next week. I know that my dad is SOOOO HEARTBROKEN that he missed the Fair and he would have been appalled at the $7 ride for a pony. Their ponies were not even worth $7. I told my kids, we were not spending $20 on pony rides, we owned 5 horses. I used the word owned loosely at that moment, but it worked. Will must have really believed me, because he chose a rooster on the carousel.

Here is the example of my next award winning motherly skill. Faith likes to ride scary rides with her her daddy, they chose Evolution 1st. (Should have read this 1st. ) The name should have been the 1st clue to GET OFF!

I nearly lost it as I realized it went up and turned upside down and hung in mid-air for a few very long seconds. Who is this child?

This is Faith next to her Daddy, he is wearing his hat backwards and her shorts are yellow. If I was a real blogger, I would have used arrows and fancy photography. She was not crying as she landed, she was happy as a clam. Daredevil, not a good sign, not a good sign. Deep, Larson, blood is the only answer. I told my dad and these were his exact words, "Why would anyone want to do THAT?" Amen brother, I have no idea.

Claire was a little less hesitant, I love this pic of her and Craig. They are loving it! I have no idea what the ride was called, I just know it stayed near the ground! By 4:30 in the afternoon, she was doubled over with a stomachache, too much fun & candy.
My mom used to tell me one could get burned on a sunny day. She is really burned, I felt bad. Like mother,like daughter, we both forgot. I did remember to brush my children's teeth since cotton candy is not their fan.

Besides spending money and forgetting sunscreen, I think it is all about making memories anyway.